Monday, January 05, 2009

Clayton Dedicates Town Mural at Clayton Center


The Clayton Center's new mural, called "Clayton Patchwork," was officially dedicated at a reception earlier tonight.

The event also honored local artist Dorothy Demboski, who put the last few dabs of paint on the wall a few weeks ago, giving the Center a permanent 10-foot by 10-foot mural featuring icons from around town.

"This is a beautiful work of art," said Mayor Jody McLeod. "I invite everyone in town to come and see it."

Demboski, an artist for more than 40 years, has been working on the mural since back in the summer, chatting with visitors who stopped to watch her work and becoming something of a fixture at Town Hall in the process.

"Things like this are a labor of love, and I've sure loved it, especially the people who have come to watch and talk with me," she said. "It's been fun. The people at Town Hall are going to miss me."

A smaller version of the mural has been part of two recent exhibitions at the Center.

Town leaders worked with Clayton Visual Arts to raise $10,000 for the project. The town is covering $4,000 of the cost.

The idea for a mural got its start when town employees noticed Demboski's painting at a recent exhibition. “That piece struck us,” said Town Manager Steve Biggs.

Demboski has won many awards for her work over the years. She has a BFA Degree from Carnegie Mellon University, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She has also taught at the Art Institute of Chicago and at Carnegie Mellon.

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